Cooley is enhancing its global private equity group with the appointment of three new partners.
Ron Hopkinson joins in New York from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he was head of the firm’s private equity group. Eric Schwartzman joins in Palo Alto from Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Silicon Valley office. Hopkinson and Schwartzman, former partners of Latham & Watkins, worked extensively together in New York representing a myriad of private equity sponsors. In London, Stephen Rosen joins the firm from Olswang, where he was head of the private equity and venture capital group.
“This is a defining moment for Cooley,” says Mike Lincoln, chair of Cooley’s business department. “In connection with our recent record-setting years in M&A, capital markets and private investment fund formation, we continue to make steady inroads in private equity. The arrival of Ron, Eric and Stephen will bolster Cooley’s offering across the US and UK. Private equity is now entrenched in the tech space, where Cooley’s platform — for both serial acquirers and company representation — is unrivalled.”
“Cooley has an elite brand in terms of global tech and life sciences,” says Hopkinson. “It’s the perfect time to add my experience and client base into this powerful platform and to build something unique and differentiated in the private equity market.”
Cooley represents numerous private equity sponsors and is primary fund counsel to 325+ private investment fund organisations. The firm has 5,000+ private company clients spanning all aspects of tech and life sciences and, in 2015, handled 200+ M&A deals.
“Cooley is a firm with an extensive Silicon Valley foundation and an incredibly strong network in tech, life sciences and other high-growth industries,” Schwartzman says. “Having practiced in both New York and Silicon Valley, I’m excited to contribute to Cooley’s national and global growth in private equity.”
“The increasing attraction to private equity funds of tech companies dovetails neatly with Cooley’s renowned tech and life sciences expertise and network,” Rosen says. “I look forward to contributing to the firm’s global momentum.”
